Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Flashcards

Innocent passage through a coastal state's territorial sea must be what?

Answer: Continuous, expeditious, and not prejudicial to the coastal state

Innocent passage must be continuous and expeditious and must not be prejudicial to the peace, good order, or security of the coastal state.

What is the role of a boarding officer's 'safety sweep' at the start of a boarding?

Answer: To locate persons and hazards to ensure team safety

The initial safety sweep accounts for all persons aboard and identifies hazards to protect the boarding team.

Which agency has primary jurisdiction that the Coast Guard supports when interdicting drug smuggling entering U.S. ports?

Answer: It shares enforcement with DEA and CBP

The Coast Guard coordinates maritime drug interdiction with partners such as the DEA and Customs and Border Protection.

Under the Posse Comitatus Act, why is the Coast Guard generally NOT restricted from civil law enforcement?

Answer: It is a military service with express law enforcement authority

The Posse Comitatus Act does not restrict the Coast Guard because Congress expressly granted it civil law enforcement authority.

What is the term for the imaginary line from which maritime zones like the territorial sea are measured?

Answer: The baseline

The baseline, generally the low-water line along the coast, is the reference from which maritime zones are measured.

A boarding team finds expired safety equipment on a commercial vessel. This is primarily an example of enforcing what?

Answer: Marine safety and vessel inspection regulations

Checking safety equipment enforces marine safety regulations governing vessel seaworthiness and crew protection.

When Coast Guard jurisdiction over a foreign vessel is uncertain, boarding officers typically seek what?

Answer: A statement of no objection or flag-state consent

Officers obtain flag-state consent or a Statement of No Objection to establish jurisdiction over a foreign-flagged vessel.